1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to dental tools and, more particularly, the invention relates to tools using light to cure dental materials containing resins.
2. Description of Related Technology
Dental restoration procedures often require various resin containing materials such as composites and adhesives to be filled into a tooth cavity or area being repaired, and subsequently cured. With certain restoration procedures, the filling and curing cycle may be repeated several times. The curing process is often performed using a curing tool, which emits light from a source, such as a bulb, and through a bundle of optic fibers, to thus result in a focused light output. The light output is directed at the resin and the resin is quickly cured by polymerization.
To facilitate the curing process, the fiber optic bundle may be provided within a probe or light guide extending from the curing tool or gun. The probe may extend linearly from the gun with an angular cant toward a distal end to enable the operator to more easily access the tooth being repaired.
Prior art light probes are typically 8-13 mm in diameter, and utilize a round tip at the distal end. Light from the dental curing gun is communicated through the light probe along the optic fiber bundle and exits the distal end in a circular pattern which is applied to a dental resin for curing. In order to quicken the curing process, some light probes have used a smaller cross-sectional area at the distal end being drawn from a larger cross-sectional area at a proximal end. In this manner, the light from the curing gun is amplified by being drawn into a smaller cross-sectional area and focused on the area being cured, resulting in faster curing cycles.
However, some areas which require curing are significantly smaller than others or are uniquely shaped. For example, when curing a plane of adhesive between the surface of a tooth and an orthodontic bracket, the area of exposure can be considerably smaller than that of typical tooth restoration, such as cavity fillings. In such cases, light being delivered from a round tip is not always efficiently projected across the interface, resulting in application over areas that do not need to be cured. This does not optimize the useful intensity of the light, thus resulting in an inefficient light probe.
According to the invention, a light probe for use with a dental curing gun includes a first end and a second end, the second end having a non-circular cross-section. The light probe further includes a straight section between the first and second ends, with an optically transparent medium extending through the straight section from the first end to the second end.
Other aspects and features of the invention may become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.